OBSERVATION ON THE FLOWER-VISITING INSECTS OF ROSE (Rosa spp.) IN A RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE AREA

Abstract

Many ornamental plants are aseasonal, providing continuous food supply which leads to survival of many flower-visiting insects. Although the flower-visiting insects are always perceived as pollinators, not all visitation actually resulted in pollination of the flowers. Thus, this study aimed to identify the flower-visiting insects of a common ornamental plant, Rosa spp., and to determine their potential role as pollinators from their foraging behaviour at the flowers. Data collection was conducted in Jasin, Melaka, in 2021. A camera was set up approximately 0.5 meter from the full bloom flower, throughout its anthesis period. From the video footage, the parameters recorded were visitation frequency, visitation type (legitimate and illegitimate visitation) and the time spent at the flower. As a result, 253 visitations were recorded by six insect taxa; four from the order Hymenoptera, and one each from the order Lepidoptera and Diptera. A hymenopteran bee, Halictidae sp. was found to show the highest visitation frequency. Only three species; Halictidae sp., Heterotrigona itama and Amegilla sp. showed legitimate visits. For the time spent (mean ± SE), Halictidae sp. (30.08 ± 4.87 minute) recorded significantly longer time as compared to other visitors (H = 13.78, df = 4, p < 0.01). Based on the visitation rate, time spent and visitation type, Halictidae sp. showed the highest potential as pollinator for Rosa spp., followed by H. itama and Amegilla sp. It is important to understand the contributions of the ornamental plants such as Rosa spp. as food source to these insects for conservation of these pollinating agents. Not only these flowers help in the survival of pollinating agents throughout the years, these pollinating agents also contribute to the survival of the flowering plants by facilitating the pollination process of the flowers they visited.